Fish cleaning and filleting device

ABSTRACT

A hand tool having a handle with a concave blade at each end and a method for obtaining a skinless, boneless one piece fillet. The blade includes a linear shearing edge and a curvilinear shearing edge conforming to the rib cage of a fish, the edges converging to an apex. The apex of the blade may be inserted in a slit along the backbone of the fish terminating in a transverse slit at the tail. With the concavity facing toward the tail, the linear shearing edge bearing against the inner surface of the skin and the curvilinear shearing edge embracing the rib cage, the tool is moved from the head toward the tail to remove substantially all of the flesh portion of the fish with a plow-like action. The blades are mirror images of each other, one being suitable for use on one side of the fish and the other blade suitable for use on the opposite side of the fish.

United States Patent Penman [72] Inventor: Melvin C. Penman, 560 l-leim Road, Getzville, N.Y. 14068 221 Filed: June 29,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 50,848

[451 June 27, 1972 Primary Examiner-Lucie l-l. Laudenslager Attorney-E. Herbert Liss [57] ABSTRACT A hand tool having a handle with a concave blade at each end and a method for obtaining a skinless, boneless one piece fillet. The blade includes a linear shearing edge and a curvilinear shearing edge conforming to the rib cage of a fish the edges converging to an apex. The apex of the blade may be inserted in a slit along the backbone of the fish terminating in a transverse slit at the tail. With the concavity facing toward the tail, the linear shearing edge bearing against the inner surface of the skin and the curvilinear shearing edge embracing the rib cage, the tool is moved from the head toward the tail to remove substantially all of the flesh portion of the fish with a plow-like action. The blades are minor images of each other, one being suitable for use on one side of the fish and the other blade suitable for use on the opposite side of the fish.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUHZ? m2 3.672.002

INVENTOR. Hg 6 MELVIN C. PENMAN A TTORNEY FISH CLEANING AND FILLETING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to hard tools and a method for cleaning fish and more particularly to a filleting tool and method for obtaining skinless and boneless one piece fillets.

With known methods of filleting fish much skill and experience are required. The fish are first scaled and then boned, sometimes followed by the separate skinning step. These processes are time consuming and result in loss of much of the edible flesh of the fish. Often with known methods bones are inadvertently left in the fillet. In some instances, because of the skill required and the time necessary to remove the skin, the skin is left with the edible flesh.

Hand tools for cleaning fish utilizing a concave scraper are known for use in eviscerating and removing entrails of fish and for sealing fish as well as for opening bellies of fish. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,060 which discloses a tool for opening the belly of a fish includes a spoon-shaped protective device for recovering the roe without multilation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,290,720 discloses a concave or spoon-shaped scraper for removing entrails. However, none of these concave scrapers disclose a pair of cooperating shearing edges for removing the entire edible portion of the flesh while avoiding opening of the belly and removing of the entrails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a skinless, boneless fillet is obtained utilizing a tool having a concave or spoon-like blade with a linear shearing edge on one side thereof and a curvilinear shearing edge on the other side thereof cooperating with the linear shearing edge to remove the entire edible flesh between the rib cage and the skin. The above-mentioned edges converge toward an apex which can readily be inserted in a longitudinal slit through the flesh of the fish reaching to the rib cage. The apex is bent slightly laterally to avoid mutilation and cutting of the rib cage as the tool is moved with respect to the fish for removing the edible flesh. A blade of this type is disposed at each end of a handle, the blades being mirror images of each other so that one is suitable for use on one side of the fish while the other is suitable for use on the other side of the fish. Scaling, opening of the belly and removal of entrails is avoided when the tool of the present invention is utilized.

A simple method for filleting the fish with a tool of this type involves first slitting the fish longitudinally along each side of the backbone from the head to a point adjacent the tail and terminating the slit with a transverse slit adjacent the tail or caudal fin. The blade is then inserted into the longitudinal slit adjacent the head of the fish and is drawn rearwardly toward the caudal fin with a curvilinear shearing edge embracing the outer side of the rib cage and with a linear edge adjacent the inner surface of the skin. The concavity of the blade faces the tail of the fish, and as the blade is drawn rearwardly a shearing and plowing action occurs as a single piece boneless and skinless fillet rolls out at the leading concave surface of the tool. Thus a boneless, skinless fillet is obtained. This process is repeated with the other blade on the other side of the fish to ob tain a second boneless, skinless fillet.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient tool for extracting in one piece, without bones or skin attached thereto, substantially the entire edible flesh portion of a fish.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for filleting a fish to obtain a skinless, boneless fillet in a simple and efficient manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the tool of this invention looking toward the concavity of the blades. FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one blade of the tool of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of a fish showing the position of the dorsal slits in preparation for filleting.

FIG. 4 is a view of the fish showing the dorsal or longitudinal slit and the transverse slit.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the fish with the filleting operation in progress.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the fillet obtained by the article and method of this invention.

FIG. 7 is the remaining disposable skin and skeleton portions of the fish following the filleting operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 there is shown a filleting tool 10 having a handle 12 of suitable plastic or fibrous material wrapped or formed about a shank 14 between a pair of blades 16 and 16. The shank 14 may be an integral element or may be formed separately with each of the blades 16 and I6 respectively. The faces 18 and 18' of the blades 16 and 16' are concave, the concavity facing the same side in each of the blades. An edge 20 of the blade 16 may be substantially linear and extends somewhat obliquely to the shank 14. The major portion 22 of the other edge is convex and the minor portion 24 thereof is of concave or incurvate curvilinear shape and is substantially an arc of an ellipse which conforms substantially to the curvature of the rib cage of a fish. The edges 20 and 24 may be sharpened to form shearing edges and converge to form an apex 26. The end portion of the apex 26 may be bent slightly away from the concave face 18 as at 28, best shown in FIG. 2. The blade 16 is substantially identical to the blade 16 and is a mirror image thereof.

The method of filleting a fish utilizing this tool comprises the step of slitting the fish with a sharpened knife 30 longitudinally on each side of the backbone as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 at 32 and 32'. The slit extends through the scales, skin and flesh to the rib cage 36 of the fish from a point adjacent the head 38 to a point adjacent the tail or caudal fin 40. It terminates in a transverse slit 42 extending through to the ventral portion of the fish adjacent the caudal fin 40. The fish is then placed on its side and the apex of the blade 16 is inserted into the slit 32 adjacent the head 38 of the fish with the edge 24 embracing the rib cage 36 and the edge 20 extending through the flesh to the inner surface of the skin. The concavity 18 faces the tail 40. The blade 16 is then moved along longitudinally toward the tail in the direction of the concavity and, as it moves, shearing edges 24 and 20 shear the meat from the rib cage 36 and the skin of the fish respectively with a plow-like action. The edible flesh rolls out in advance of the blade 16 at the concave surface 18 as shown in FIG. 4 and remains in one piece as seen in FIG. 6. When theblade reaches the slit 42 a fillet 44, shaped substantially like that shown in FIG. 6, is obtained.

It will now be apparent that a unique tool and novel method for filleting fish has been provided by this invention. The tool is simple in construction and efi'icient, and with the use of this tool scaling, opening of the belly and removal of the entrails is avoided. A skinless, boneless fillet is obtained which includes substantially all of the edible flesh portion of the fish. Utilizing the method and tool of this invention, filleting a fish in the above described manner can be rapidly accomplished and a large number of fish filleted in a brief period of time.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration it will be apparent that various modifications and other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangement shown but in its broadest aspects it includes all equivalent embodiments and modifications which come within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A tool for filleting fish comprising a handle, a first transversely concave blade secured to the handle, said blade having a substantially linear shearing edge beveled the a side of the blade and an incurvate shearing edge beveled on a side of the blade, said edges converging toward an apex at the free end of said blade whereby said blade can be inserted at the head end of said fish into a longitudinal slit between the skeleton of the fish and its skin, the curvilinear edge lying adjacent and embracing the backbone and rib cage, the linear edge lying adjacent the skin, the concavity facing the tail end of the fish; and by a rearward movement of the knife toward the tail end of the fish and flesh can be plowed out to provide a boneless, skinless fillet.

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said incurvate shearing edge is substantially an arc of an ellipse.

3. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said incurvate shearing edge arcuate shaped to accomodate the contour of external rib cage of a fish.

4. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said apex is offset slightly in a direction away from the concavity of said blade.

5. A tool according to claim 3 wherein said apex is offset slightly in a direction away from the concavity of the blade.

6. A tool according to claim 5 wherein a second concave blade is secured to said handle at the end of said handle remote from said first concave blade, said second blade being a mirror image of said first concave blade whereby a second boneless, skinless fillet can be obtained from the opposite side of said fish.

7. A tool according to claim 6 wherein the linear shearing edge extends obliquely to the handle.

2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,672,002 Dated June 27-, 1972 .Inventor(s) Melvln C. enman It is certified that errorappeers in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. -3, line 4, change "the a side" to -on a side--. Col. 4, line 2, change "edge arcuaice" to -*edge is arcuate-,

Signed and sealed this 6th day of August 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR. (3. MARSHALL DANN V Attesting Officerv I Commissioner of Patents 

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said incurvate shearing edge is substantially an arc of an ellipse.
 3. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said incurvate shearing edge arcuate shaped to accomodate the contour of external rib cage of a fish.
 4. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said apex is offset slightly in a direction away from the concavity of said blade.
 5. A tool according to claim 3 wherein said apex is offset slightly in a direction away from the concavity of the blade.
 6. A tool according to claim 5 wherein a second concave blade is secured to said handle at the end of said handle remote from said first concave blade, said second blade being a mirror image of said first concave blade whereby a second boneless, skinless fillet can be obtained from the opposite side of said fish.
 7. A tool according to claim 6 wherein the linear shearing edge extends obliquely to the handle. 